Nothing Left to Give
by bettertoflee
Summary: When he got on that plane, he left everything he had with her. How will Tony cope knowing that the place he belongs is thousands of miles away next to a woman who has begged to be alone? Will he be able to stand it? Will she? Through the broken pieces of heartache comes a life worth living.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own NCIS or its characters or ideas.

Tony DiNozzo walked out of the elevator and into the bullpen; his backpack slung over one shoulder and a coffee in the opposite hand – to the surrounding agents, he was as normal as could be.

But deep inside, Tony was lost and scrambling for answers.

It had been a mere four weeks since he'd been back from Tel Aviv; a mere four weeks since he'd left the love of his life staring at him from the ground as he took off in a plane, headed back to the states and his this God-awful heartache that had been tailing him like a lost puppy.

He tossed his pack in the corner between his wastebasket and TV stand, slumping around the desk and throwing himself into his seat. He wiggled the mouse, waking up the monitor and plugged in his password. Taking a long sip from his coffee, he leaned back and stared across the aisle and the empty desk across from him. So many fond memories. Paris, Berlin… Tel Aviv.

Ah, Tel Aviv.

He needed to stop. Tony shook his head lightly and got up from his seat, straightening his jacket with a few tugs, he turned to the filing cabinet and began thumbing through documents until he came across the one he needed to take down to Abbey. This would do the trick. Some way or another, he needed to stop thinking about all that could have been. And all that wasn't.

Right as he was about to walk back to the elevator, Gibbs came up from the other direction and stopped him.

"Got a dead Marine, DiNozzo," he said, coming up behind his desk. "Gear up!"

"Right, Boss. I was just… gearing up. Got it."

Gibbs walked over to where Tony was standing in the middle of the bullpen, file in hand and that same lost look across his face.

"Everything ok, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said.

"Peachy, Boss."

"Good. Then let's go."

Tony nodded curtly and dropped the file on his desk, grabbing his own backpack once more and followed Gibbs to the elevator. Once inside, the two men stood side by side in an awkward silence. Every silence had the opportunity to be awkward with Gibbs around, but this time, it was Tony who made the air seem heavy. Gibbs reached out and flipped the switch, stopping the elevator in an all-too-familiar manner.

"Speak," he said. "He's not going anywhere."

"Really, Boss," Tony said, trying to laugh half-heartedly the way he usually did. "It's nothing, just got a case of the Mondays, that's all."

"It's Thursday, DiNozzo?"

"Right. Well, you know," he drew in a slight breath between slightly parted teeth. "Hard to keep track of the time, still a little jet lagged I guess."

"We all miss her," Gibbs said gently, leaning his head back and not making eye contact with the junior agent. "You've just gotta find a way to move on."

"Ya see, Boss… took me long enough to get here. Not sure I'm ready to go back yet." He turned from where he'd been facing Gibbs and looked back toward the elevator doors; waiting for Gibbs to hit the switch once more.

"Alright, then don't." Gibbs said after a few seconds.

He leaned over and put his hand to the switch. Before flicking it upwards, he shook his head and let out a light laugh.

"You kids are too damn stubborn."

And with that, they were on their way back down to the lobby.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Thanks for sticking with me; chapters will be uploaded as regularly as I can manage - the more positive feedback, the more I'll feel encouraged to write.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own NCIS or its characters/ideas.

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It was a late night at the office. The case involved a dead marine whose head had been severed and dumped at the edge of a golf course. Tony felt like it took ages for them to find the body. Now, three days later, they were finally wrapping up all the paperwork and he'd get to go home for a good night's rest. Thankfully, this was one of their sloppier cases and the pieces fell together rather quickly.

Tony sat at his desk, punching away at the keyboard, one finger at a time, and scribbling down notes here and there. He hit save and snapped a rubber band around the stack of manila folders.

_Finally finished, _he thought. _I've got a fresh bag of Funyuns and Rush Hour 3 callin' my name…_

He walked over and plopped the folders down on Gibb's desk. He looked up as he heard the elevator door opened and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that it was just McGee.

"Whatcha' doin' McGeek?" He asked, turning in place as McGee sped past him and over to his desk.

"I was supposed to be at Delilah's and hour ago, Tony," McGee said.

"It's nearly midnight, Probie, must be a pretty hot date."

"Not as hot as you're thinking," McGee said, his tone clearly signaling that he was annoyed and ready to be done with the conversation.

Not that Tony picked up on it.

"Well, why not, McLovin'? C'mon! Show her the moves," Tony was in the middle of gyrating his hips when he suddenly felt a solid smack against the back of his head.

"Don't you have somewhere to be? DiNozzo?"

"Well, uh, right Boss. See you all at zero seven hundred!" and with that Tony gathered his things and headed out for the night.

#

It wasn't a long drive home, but it felt longer than any other drive he'd had in a long time – regardless of time or travel. He pulled into his usual spot along the curb and put the car into park, leaving the ignition running as he ran a hand through is hair. He leaned his head back against the seat and let out a long sigh. He glanced over to the apartment building and suddenly a whole array of thoughts and memories were rushing through his mind.

This place didn't seem like home anymore. No, that had gone when the windows shattered and he'd left it all behind to find her. This hadn't been his home for some time.

A heavy garbage truck drove past and tore him from his reveries. Turning the key, Tony let the engine rumble to a steady stop and got out of the car, locking it behind him and trudging up the sidewalk to the place he was left calling home.

It was chillier than he'd expected when he walked through the door. He glanced around and found a curtain blowing in front of one of the windows. He walked over and examined what the problem was – the glass as broken.

_Didn't I get all these fixed already!?_

He stormed across the room to his kitchen and reached into the pantry, pulling out a cardboard box full of canned soup from the bottom shelf. Dumping the soup into a rolling pile on the kitchen floor, he dug around in one of the kitchen drawers before he finally found the duct tape and made his way back over to the window.

Tony ripped the sides off the box and held the bottom up to the window – tearing the tape with his teeth and slapping it up against the window frame and the box.

"That should hold it," he said absentmindedly.

As he stepped back, he placed his hands on his hips and stared out the window, over the cardboard and the city street. The night life was coming to a lull and in some way the loneliness of the streets spoke to the loneliness inside him. He was having trouble finding purpose. The job wasn't enough anymore. Movies, dating, picking on McGee… none of it seemed to hold any significance. Tony felt like he'd grown more over the past year than he had over the past thirty.

He turned back toward the kitchen, dropping the duct tape back into the still open drawer and slamming it shut with more force than necessary. Opening the fridge, he took out a plate of leftover pizza and stuck it in the microwave. He shoved off his shoes and kicked them into the front hall, padded over to his fishbowl and leaned down to that he was at eye-level with the little goldfish.

"Hey Kate," he said. "Guess things didn't quite work out like I though, huh? Oh, don't give me that look. She needs the space. I get it; she's lost a lot – needs time to find herself." He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket, and from within took out the picture of Ziva from Paris. "I just wish she would've let me help her," he rubbed a finger over the image of her face. "Ya know? She didn't have to lose everything."

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**Author's Note: Read and review! I know the first few chapters are short, but I have to ease myself into the flow and feel it all out. I don't want to get too carried away - patience makes progress here. I'd love to hear your feedback; see what you like, what you don't like, whether or not you feel like it's headed in a realistic direction. The more the merrier. Thanks :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or its characters/ideas.**

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A loud beep sounded through the apartment and Tony jumped, dropping more food than he had intended into the fishbowl.

"Eat up, Kate," he whispered, relaxing his shoulders and making his way back into the kitchen for his own meal.

A few moments later, he slumped down into the couch, one oozing piece of pizza in hand, the other waiting on his plate, and flipped on the TV. Pressing a few buttons on his remote, he was about to start up a movie when from across the room his laptop started to make noise. He dropped the pizza back onto the plate and wiped his greasy hands on his pants. Crossing the room, Tony sat at his desk and flipped open the laptop. Waiting on his screen, he found a missed call alongside a chat box.

_"Missing you,_" it read. The name next to it was one he'd never expected to see in a million years.

"Ziva," he breathed. "What are you doing?" He was so caught off guard that he almost didn't register the fact that she was still online. He quickly keyed back a short response. This was all too familiar – the same time, the same place, the same atmosphere – _am I dreaming?_

_"You know where to find me,"_ he had typed. He was now looking at her response and it sent chills over his body – not because of what she was saying but because she was there. The fact that she was talking to him meant the world.

_"I do," _

He tried not to get his hopes up too soon. The need to type as fast as possible was distracting; he was afraid that she'd suddenly rush off and his time with her would be cut short.

_"Call me again?"_ he typed.

He waited for her response. The little blinking dots lined up at the bottom of the box mocking him with each little pulse.

_"I have a better idea,"_ he read.

From behind him, Tony heard two solid raps on the door.

_No…_

He got up so fast that the chair he had been sitting on almost fell to the floor. His legs couldn't carry him to the door fast enough. All Tony could think of was Ziva's face and what he was going to do if she was behind the door. He prayed to God that it was her – he'd never tease McGee about another date again for as long as he lived if it meant that Ziva was on the other side of that door.

When he finally reached the threshold he found that he was hesitant to turn the knob. Within a matter of seconds he'd put so much hope into what this meant. Yes, it was well past the hour of regular callers, but what would he do if he opened the door to find one of his deranged, elderly neighbors needing help or, even worse, if he opened it to find that he'd made it all up and there wasn't anyone there at all?

Tony took in a deep breath, ran a hand through his hair and opened the door.

"I thought this time I'd come to you," she said, a small smile forming at the corner of her mouth.

"Zi," Tony said, barely above a whisper. He threw open the door the rest of the way and brought her body crashing into his in a passionate embrace. Her skin was warm through her clothes, the rich spicy vanilla scent of her hair washed over him in an all too wonderfully familiar way. Pulling back, he bent his head down and looked at her; he was speechless. Dipping in slowly, he let his lips meet hers and they were lost in a kiss more sweet than any they had ever shared before.

When he'd left her, they were wrought with desperation and passion – with the lust that would have to be subsided for the indefinite future. But now that she was here in front of him, now that they were back together, Tony felt like he was whole again. He wanted to savor every minute of every hour of every day he had her. He didn't know how long it'd last, but he wanted his time with her to be engrained within him. He let the kiss start out slowly the way it should.

He trailed his hand along her cheek, pressed his fingers up into her hair, and brought them down to cup the nape of her neck. She took in a sharp breath through their parted lips and he could feel the chills creeping up along her skin.

Finally pulling apart, they settled their foreheads against one another and reveled in what was taking place.

"What brought you back?"

"Tony," she started, placing her hands gently on his temples and playing with his light sideburns. "I was looking for something, looking for who I was – am – but," she stopped and looked into his eyes, back and forth between the two as if she was looking for something. "But I realized something. I had let the only part of me I was sure of fly half way across the world when he had done just as much to find me."

He looked down at her and, pulling his hand out from beneath her hair, he traced a finger down her forehead, brushing a stray stand behind her ear. Tenderly, he leaned down and planted a kiss against her forehead.

"Then let's get you inside," he said. He reached down and squeezed her hand gently, taking her bag with his other. Tony stepped back and let her through, smiling widely as he tossed the bag into a chair and kicked shut the door.

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**Author's Note: Read and Review! I'm really enjoying writing this - hope to find that you enjoy reading it. More chapters to come later; stick with me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hey there! Thanks for sticking with me - I've been trying to take my time writing this so that it doesn't come out overly rushed. It's hard though! I have lots of places I'd like to take it and want to get it out asap. Loving the feedback btw; it's always nice knowing that you have readers who care and you're not just writing for your own kicks and giggles. So a big thanks to you guys! **

**Disclaimer: I don't know NCIS or its characters/ideas.**

* * *

He followed her into the living room, taking his time so that he could really appreciate the fact that she was before him. She brushed her hands through her hair and twisted it into a loose mess atop her head, turning to look at him at the same time.

"What?" she said, taking notice of the look that had settled across his face.

"Nothing, sweet cheeks," he said, smirking a little as he stepped in front of her. "I just can't get over the fact that you're here; thought you were pretty set on needing time apart."

He'd never loved anyone the way he loved her, but it was because of that love and the fact that her happiness meant more to him than his own that he was able to let her go. Now that she was in front of him – had _come home_ to him – he wasn't going to let her go. Tony thought back to his conversation with Gibbs; he'd be just as happy to see Ziva home. He'd be glad that she'd come to terms with at least one part of her life and dropped the stubbornness enough to return.

"Tony, stop staring at me like I've come back from the dead."

"Oh, but you have; and I see you've learned an idiom while you were gone." He stepped up closer to her. The room was dark, the TV flickering waves of blue light across the furniture and their bodies. Tony took her hand and pulled her down to sit next to him on the couch. "What made you come home?"

"I guess I couldn't live without you," she said, looking at him but not saying anything further for the moment. "I watched you take off, you know." Ziva adjusted her back against the cushion behind her, tugging slightly at the jacket she had on and kicking her shoes off, propping her feet atop the coffee table. "I… I stood there for ten minutes after you had left. I didn't know where to go, what to do. When I left for Tel Aviv, Tony, it was for vacation. I had every intention of having you join me – showing you the places I used to call home, having you become a part of those memories as we made new ones. Then, after… after the mess with Ari was brought up, things changed, as you know. I realized what a mess I had made of myself and I did not want to pull you into that mess, Tony. I have so much baggage; baggage I hardly know what to do with."

Tony sat quietly, his arm stretched out across the back of the couch behind them. He began to slowly trail his fingers across the exposed neck above her collar.

"I'm listening," he said reassuringly. She took in a deep breath and turned to look at him.

"When you got there, Tony, I hated how much I wanted you to stay with me. I hated that you had been able to find me… I hated that I wanted to go home with you… I hated how weak I had become. God, and the night before you left." She trailed off, a sad sort of smile capturing her lips. "It just made watching that plane take off so much harder."

"Imagine what it was like for me to leave," he said.

"I did," she said after a moment of silence. "I thought about it a million times over the next few weeks. No matter where I went or how hard I tried, I could not shake the memory of you and how my heart ached as soon as you had left. I had not realized how attached I'd become. Tony. I fear if I distance myself any further, I may never come back… that is not what I want."

"I don't want that either, Zi." Tony said gently. "Does this mean you're here to stay?"

"Yes, Tony." She whispered back. "I think it does."

"Good, cause a while back I bought some of that tea you like and it's taking up a lot of valuable cabinet space."

They both laughed and Tony pulled her into another hug. They stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying each other's presence in the simplest of terms. When they finally broke apart, Tony caught a slight glint coming from Ziva's eyes and so he reached up and wiped away at the moist tears.

"Would you like me to fix you a cup?" he asked.

"Yes, I would love that," she said with a nod.

Tony got up and moved into the kitchen to fix her cup of tea. When he came back, Ziva had curled her feet up under her body, digging her toes into the cushions. Tony couldn't help but think about how right it seemed to see her on his couch again. He'd missed those days of late-night movie watching from years ago… and as if on cue, Ziva nodded in the direction of the TV.

"What are you watching?"

"Rush Hour 3," he said with a bit of a draw. "We can change it if you want, I'm not really in the mood for action anymore."

"Do you mind if I stay a while?" Ziva asked, a bit hesitant.

"Good luck leaving," he teased, a bit of honesty slipping through. "I kinda figured you could just stay here. With me. Do you even still have your apartment?"

"No," she said quietly. "I ended my lease when I first decided I would not be taking back the badge. It might have been hasty, but I did not want anything tying me back to D.C. further than you had. It would seem my plan fell through."

"I don't know that I'd say that…" Tony said, trailing off as he took the mug from Ziva and set it on the coffee table, hitting the power button on the remote while he was at it. He sat back up and looked at Ziva, letting his eyes adjust to the now dark room around them. "I know things are working out a lot better than I thought they would when I woke up this morning."

He leaned in and captured her lips in another kiss. This time it opened them up to the hunger they'd been subsiding. Ziva let her hands trail up his arms as he held her by the waist, a firm hand planted at the side of her ribcage. She reached his shoulders and moved up, raking her hands through his hair as they kissed, hardly breaking for air. Somewhere between heavily gasping for air and resting their foreheads against one another, Tony finally broke the silence.

"I'd like it very much if you would stay here with me, Ziva."

"Why, Tony," she teased. "Are you implying I spend the night? I did not think you usually allowed the women you dated to spend the night at your place."

He couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you asking me out, Miss David?"

"I am, Tony. Are you going to leave me dangling?"

"You know, you were close with that one…. No, I won't leave you _hanging_. I don't want you sleeping anywhere but by my side."

"I certainly hope we are able to manage that on your twin," she said in mock contemplation.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find a way," Tony said, pushing back a handful of her hair and taking in, yet again, the utter beauty of the woman before him.

"You're something else, do you know that?"

"So are you," Ziva said in return. "I meant what I said before. I do not think that I can live without you."

"Well I meant it too, when I said it the first time." He winked and turned to face the black screen, pulling her in to his side. The two sat there in silence for a few more minutes, just enjoying the silence and the fact that they weren't alone.

"What do you say we get some sleep?" Tony said at last. He got up from the couch and held out his hand. "Come on, I'll give ya some clothes to wear."

She took his hand and followed him into his bedroom. Tony pulled out a few articles of clothing and tossed them to Ziva, proceeding to strip down to his boxers and undershirt. Ziva had no qualms about doing the same, pulling the pair of pajama bottoms up over her own underwear and then unfolding the t-shirt – the room was still dark and this was not the first time they had changed in the same room. Ziva was about to slide the shirt over her head when the material called back a familiar memory.

"Oh, Tony!" she laughed sleepily. "You remembered." She pulled the material up to her face and felt its worn softness against her skin. In her hands was one of her favorite shirts – one of his old tees that she'd borrowed during more than one of their undercover missions.

"You're the only one who wears it," he said sweetly, going over and taking a seat on the bed.

When she was finished getting dressed for bed, she went over and joined him. It was snug, but they managed to snuggle down, and get situated. Tony took in a long breath, reveling in the way his night had turned out. He knew that the next day was going to hold big things for both of them, but for the moment all he wanted to do was hold the woman he loved who had returned home to him and get some sleep.

"Ani ohev otach," he whispered into her ear.

"I love you too," she whispered sleepily, inching her back closer to his chest. "I love you so much."

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**Author's Note: Read and Review! People aren't kidding when they say that the reviews are what encourage them to write more. I'm having so much fun writing this, but the joy is so much greater knowing that others are having fun with it too. **

**As always, and as I said before, thanks for taking the time to read this!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Thanks for sticking with me! I know I'm off to a slow start, but I'm really just trying to take my time and enjoy it. Hopefully you don't mind :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or its characters/ideas.**

* * *

Morning broke and cast a harsh ray of sunlight over the bedroom. Tony opened his eyes lazily and was greeted with a mass of brown curls, splayed out across his chest and making their way up into his face. He let out a light laugh – a mixture of disbelief and joy and utter happiness. It was real. It was as real as the weight across his abdomen, as real as the hand that had slipped up the side of his shirt in the night, and as real as his hand which had managed to do the same to her. He took the opportunity to rub a small circle across the soft skin of her stomach, memorizing how it felt to hold her as she breathed in rhythm with his own body.

She took in a long and loud snore.

_"Ah, there it is…" _Tony thought with a smile. His mind suddenly flew back to memories of other countless nights they'd shared the same bed. He was glad to see that some things never changed. How had he ever allowed her to slip away to begin with?

_"'Cause you're a big idiot, DiNozzo_," he thought to himself. "_You let the damn rules get in the way of life. What the hell is Gibbs going to think when he finds out about all those times we snuck around behind his back?" _

He had begun to stroke the top of her head, running his fingers across her scalp as they travedl through her dark hair. Ziva began to stir a little, taking Tony out of his thoughts for the time being. She let out a sleepy yawn and stretched her back, pressing herself into his chest as she did so.

"Good morning, sweet cheeks," he said. "How'd you sleep?"

"Mmm," she turned and propped herself up so that she could look at him, one arm bent lightly across his chest, her hand holding her head. "Best five hours of sleep I've had in a long time. We should make a habit out of it."

"I think so too, though I wouldn't mind getting to sleep a little longer. Maybe next time you can get her a little earlier and we can save the talking for the next day?" Tony winked and shot her a smile. "Seriously, though, I don't know if I can go back to sleeping alone… I_ do_ think we could benefit from a bigger bed though. I woke up a few times afraid you were going to fall off."

"Trust me, Tony, I was not going anywhere." She gave him a little wink back and they laughed for a moment, drifting into a comfortable silence, not really saying much, just looking at each other. When Tony's alarm began to buzz, signaling that it was six o'clock and time for him to be up and getting ready for a day at the office, they untangled themselves and sat up groggily. Tony began pacing around the room, going back and forth between his dresser and closet, while Ziva grabbed her bag from down the hall where Tony had dropped it the night before and headed for the bathroom.

She was sitting on the bed, already dressed for the day by the time Tony was ready to head to the bathroom himself. He came in one last time to grab a fresh undershirt, but came over to the bed before going back to the bathroom. He pulled Ziva to her feet and into a kiss.

"I want to spend a little more time with you before I leave for work. I'm gonna hop in the shower real fast, there's cereal and Pop Tarts in the kitchen if you're hungry…" he began to trail off. "I think there might be some eggs too… might've used those the other night, can't remember. You're welcome to whatever you can find. We'll go grocery shopping later."

Ziva chuckled and shoved him toward the bathroom. He went a little, but stopped halfway there to turn and look at her.

"I am sure I will manage to scrounge something up from what you have," Ziva replied, giving his butt a little squeeze as she walked passed him, headed for the kitchen.

#

"Are you sure you don't want to come in with me today?" Tony asked, getting up from the table and putting his keys and wallet into his pocket.

"No, Tony," Ziva said. "I do not want to go back to NCIS for a time. That is a job that I loved and I am afraid that if I go back, if I see that there is still a place for me, it will be too hard to stick with my decision to give up the badge."

"Ziva, being a part of NCIS is not a bad thing," he said. "I won't pressure you though. Just know that we all miss you and that there _is_ a difference between being a part of NCIS and being a part of Mossad. You made a decision to leave all of that behind you a long time ago, and you have. Nothing that has happened has been your fault. You're not one of the bad guys."

"But I haven't really left it, Tony. Can you not see that?" Ziva's voice was becoming a bit raised, but she closed her eyes, doing her best to steady her temper. "I know that you are trying to help me, that you want me to be able to do what I love, but it is not possible here! Part of the reason you all got caught up in this mess with Mossad is because of me. I know that if I allow myself to become a part of the team again, or do field work of any kind, I will be sucked right back to where I started. I'll be caught in another mess like Rivkin, or Bodner, or Ari. Tony. I want to love the life I live, but I want to love it without feeling like a monster."

Tony watched as this whirlwind of emotion and conviction tumbled from Ziva's lips. Tears had begun to trickle down her cheeks and it broke his heart to leave her like this.

"Do you want me to call in? I can take a day off, Ziva," he said.

"No," she said. "I am sure that they need you there."

"Gibbs will understand if I tell him you're here. You know he won't mind a day."

"I need to get a few things from storage," she said, getting up from her own chair and facing him head-on. "I promise you I will be fine."

"I don't know that I'll be back tonight though, Ziva. You know the drill, we might get a case."'

"If that is the case, I will bring pizza for everyone. Let them know that I am here. We can get go out for dinner sometime this week." She leaned up and kissed him sweetly. After pulling away, she turned him and started to walk him towards the door. "Maybe I'll get someone to bring over my bed and I'll make a few adjustments to your closet?"

Tony stopped just outside the door, letting her stand there at the opening to his apartment. He didn't care if his neighbors came outside and wondered why he was having a conversation in the hall instead of his house. He just wasn't ready to leave yet.

"This is a big step for me, you know," he said cockily. He pulled out his key ring and jimmied the key to his apartment off. "I don't let just anyone share my closet – and I certainly don't let just anyone change out my bed." He handed her the key, cocking his head to the side and giving her a little grin. "And I definitely don't give out keys to my apartment to just anyone."

"Well perhaps you should get used to a little change, DiNozzo." She smiled and took the key form him, sliding it into her pocket.

"Maybe we can take advantage of that bed when I get home," he leaned in, getting ready to kiss her. "How would you like that, sweet cheeks?"

"I'd like that very much, actually," she said, leaning in to close the distance between them. "Now, go. I do not need Gibbs blaming me for making you late."

Tony chuckled, feeling exactly as if he were on cloud nine. Things couldn't get any better than this.

"I'll call when I'm on my way; that way I know I can get in. You've got only key."

"I will stop by somewhere and have a new one made; does that sound ok?"

"You gonna drop the other one off?" he asked with a hopeful smile. She stood at the door and thought for a moment.

"I think I can manage that. I will not be staying long, though." She looked at him for a minute. "I know that you understand I have made my decision and I know that you are not trying to pressure me. Just… please try to understand that I have to do things on my own time."

"I know, Zi," he said, standing in the hallway looking at her framing the door of his apartment. It was funny to him, that as he looked at her like that, the apartment that had felt like anything but a home the night before suddenly had new life… and it was all because of her. It had always been her.

"You're here and that's enough," he said. "That will always be enough for me." He gave her one last smile and turned, walking down the hallway, ready for a day at work. Just the thought of coming home to her made him feel like an infinite stream of caffeine was being pumped into his system. He was ready for anything.

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**Author's Note: Please take the time to Read and Review! Thanks to everyone who is following this story and/or has marked it as a favorite - you're all awesome. Like I said up top, I'm taking my time with this story. I have some ideas but I'm trying to think about what would be best in way of the characters and what would be the most fun to write. I'll try to update as soon as I can.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been a while since I've updated this - I'm posting as I write and this was a busy stretch of days. It feels good to be back. As always, thanks for sticking around!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, its characters, or its ideas. Bummer. **

* * *

A few minutes later, Tony found himself walking through the doors of the elevator and down the hall, an undeniable smile across his face and a new-found jump in his step. He waved at McGee as he entered the bullpen and dropped his backpack in its usual spot.

"Morning, Tim," he said, walking over and leaning against the filing cabinets between their desks. "How are you on this fine morning?"

"Fine…" McGee said hesitantly. "How are you?"

"I'm spectacular, Probie," Tony said, using the outdated nickname. "Never been better."

"Why are you so happy?" McGee asked. He pushed back from his desk and turned a little to look at Tony head on.

"Can't a guy have a good day, McGrumpy?"

"Not when we've got a dead marine," Gibbs said, walking up from behind, a coffee in one hand, manila folder in the other. "Grab your gear."

"On it, Boss,"

"Not you, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "We're taking this one over from somebody else. Got a suspect on his way here. I need you in interrogation." He handed the folder over to Tony and was back on his way to the elevator before he finished his sentence. "You comin' McGee?"

"Sorry, Boss, right behind you," McGee said. He gave Tony an apologetic look as he passed him and shrugged slightly.

Tony was a little taken aback. The disappointment with not going was evident across his face. He was even more disappointed that he wouldn't be able to share his good news. He sighed and thought about going in to do an interrogation.

_Of all the mornings to be thrown into a case… I'm sure it had to be today._

He took the folder Gibbs had given him and opened it, rifling through the papers as he went back to take a seat at his desk. The details were as basic as ever, nothing really unique standing out about this case aside from the fact that they had little to no evidence to go off of.

_… and that explains why we're taking over. _

He let the folder close and stared at it atop his desk for a moment. Tony smacked his hands down on the folder and slid it off the desk, getting up with a purposeful kick in his step, and making his way toward the elevator to head down to Abby's lab.

#

When he entered the room, he was overcome with a barrage of loud music. Abby stood at her computer, eagerly punching away at the keyboard.

"Tony!" she said, throwing her hands up into the air before she'd even turned around. "I have great news! I've got two tickets to watch the Psych Ward Sirens this Thursday and you're going with me!"

"Thanks for the offer, Abs, but I've actually got a date that night." He came over and leaned against the metal table between them, watching her face drop and knowing exactly what he was doing.

"What?" she said, practically screaming at him. "I can't believe you're going on a date already! Have you no respect for true love? This isn't right! Do McGee and Gibbs know? What do they think? Tony, you can't seriously have moved on already!"

He smiled and didn't say anything; just watched as Abby's face began to get taught with irritation.

"I'm not supporting this. If you've got something for me, hand it over. If not, get out of my lab."

Tony leaned up off the table and walked over to stand in front of her, a haughty, know-it-all smile spreading across his face. He stuck his hand out and gave her one of the papers from within the folder.

"Don't you want to know who it's with? What we're doing?"

"No!" she said, harshly taking the paper from his hand. "I don't care who it's with. If it's not Ziva, it's not right. I thought you had learned, Tony!"

Tony took hold of Abby's shoulders and looked her square in the face. "It _is_ Ziva, Abbs."

"OMG, Tony," Abby flung her arms around his neck and started to squeeze the life out of him. After he started to make like he was choking, she let go and leaned back to look at him again. "What do you mean? Are you Skyping or something? Why hasn't she called me? Ohmygod. Is she here? TONY! Is she in D.C.?"

Abby's eyes were getting wider and wider and her hands had moved to cover her mouth at the thought that Ziva was back in town.

"I was gonna order pizza for dinner tonight since we're gonna be busy with this case," Tony said, heading for the door as he backed away from her. "I'll give you a call and you can come join us."

"Tony, I need answers!" Abby practically screamed as he walked out the door.

Tony smiled to himself and took his phone out from within his pocket. As he punched the elevator button, he flipped open the phone and began punching in Ziva's number. He waited a few minutes as the dial tone rang through.

"Hey there, sweet cheeks," he said, stepping into the elevator. "Got a pen and paper? I've got the pizza order."

#

The interrogation didn't take long. The guy didn't know a thing, and that was more obvious than Tony would have liked. He slammed the door behind him, leaving their only suspect alone in the interrogation room for security to deal with.

His phone began to ring as he walked down the hall toward the bullpen.

"Where are you at, DiNozzo," Gibbs said through the phone.

"Just got out of interrogation," Tony said as he rounded the corner, coming face to face with Gibbs. "Huh, right here, Boss." Tony flipped the phone closed.

"We've got our guy. He's on his way here now; shouldn't take long." Gibbs said. "McGee's better than you, DiNozzo." Gibbs walked past Tony, laughing quietly to himself.

Tony came further into the room and walked up beside McGee.

"He's joking," McGee said. Tony tilted his chin up and glared down at him through squinted eyes.

"Better be."

"We, uh, got pretty lucky. When we got to the Petty Officer's house, his wife was laying on the ground at gunpoint. Gibbs' been yackin about what a waste of time this has all been."

"'Cause it has been, McGee," Gibbs said, coming up from behind the two and smacked McGee at the nape of the neck. "Let's get movin'. I've got better things to do."

#

The team was sitting quietly at their desks, filling out the paperwork, eager for the next three hours to pass and it to hit five o'clock so that they could actually go home on time. Tony couldn't believe how lucky he'd gotten. The phone began to ring next to him and he picked it up.

"Perfect, need help?" He was silent for a moment. "Alright, see you in a minute."

He looked up and locked eyes with Gibbs.

"I ordered pizza for us, Boss. Should be on its way up."

"To what do we owe the pleasure?" McGee said from his desk. He and Gibbs were both silent as they stared at Tony waiting for a response. Neither of them noticed the elevator doors as they closed or the brunette who was now walking down the hallway, just within ear shot, three large pizzas piled high in front of her.

"We thought a little reunion was reason enough," Ziva said as she rounded the corner and entered he bullpen.

Tony watched as McGee's mouth dropped. Gibbs just bent his head a bit, his mouth pulling up at one side in a little smirk. He pushed himself out from behind his desk and walked over to Ziva, taking the pizzas from her hands and placing them on what used to be her desk. Ziva was having a hard time holding back a smile, and when Gibbs reached out and pulled her into a hug, she was more than willing to return the gesture.

"'bout time my little girl came home," he said into her ear. "We've missed ya, Ziver."

"I've missed you too, Gibbs," she whispered back.

The two pulled apart and Ziva let out a light laugh. By now, McGee had pulled himself together and was walking over to give her a hug as well.

Tony flipped his phone shut and the air was mellow for all of ten seconds before there was a sudden and excited gasp along with the clunking of heavy shoes making their way across the carpet. Ziva was soon attacked from behind as Abby embraced her in a near-death grip.

"Ziva, Ziva, Ziva," she said, breathless, "I can't believe it's really you! I can't believe you're here."

"It is good to see you too, Abby," Ziva said, shifting so that she could properly return the hug. She pulled away. "Come on, let's go eat this in the break room. I would like to hear how you all have been since I last saw you."

Tony stood from where he'd been sitting behind his desk, mesmerized by the beauty of this woman before him. He felt a smile spread its way across his face and winked at Ziva when she made eye contact with him.

Gibbs grabbed the pizza boxes and jerked his head as a signal for Abby and McGee to follow him, leaving Tony and Ziva to follow at their own pace. They hung back just a little, Tony taking Ziva's hand as they started to make their way down the hall behind the other three.

Tony stopped them as they were about to enter the break room. He tugged her hand gently, turning her so that she was looking him in the eye. He took her face in his hands and ran his thumbs over her cheeks, leaned forward, and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"You, Ziva, are the one who is loved." He took a deep breath and continued to stare at her. The sincerity and fierceness of his voice echoed around inside her head. She pulled him to her chest and held onto him like there was no tomorrow.

* * *

**Author's Note: As I'm sure you were able to tell, I started to struggle here. I'm much better with writing personal dynamics than case driven dynamics - so as a note to self: I'll be staying away from dealing with cases as much as I can! (haha) **

**I'd like to try something new here... for any one who is interested, I'd like to hear what you hope to see happen in the next few chapters. Drop me a message or leave a quick review. I've got a few things in mind, but I'm really interested to hear what you want to read. **

**Thanks! and hopefully I'll hear from you soon!**


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